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Niels Klim's journey under the ground
Niels Klim's journey under the ground

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Niels Klim's journey under the ground
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE POTUAN CONSTITUTION.
In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.
The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.
Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.
Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Niels Klim's journey under the ground

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE POTUAN CONSTITUTION.
Line 2
In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.
Line 3
The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.
/ðə ˈɡʌvərmənt ˌhaʊˈevər ɪz ˈræðər ˈfɑːðərli ðæn tərˈænɪkəl/
Line 4
Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.
Line 5
Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.
/ðʌs ˈmɑːnɑːrki ənd ˈlɪb.ər.ti ɑːr ˈkloʊsli juːˈnaɪtɪd wɪtʃ ˈʌðərwaɪz wʊd biː ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl tuː iːtʃ ˈʌðər/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

comprehension noun US /ˌkɑːmpriˈhenʃən/

an ability to understand the meaning or importance of something (or the knowledge acquired as a result)

From this reading “Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.”

fatherly adjective US /ˈfɑːðərli/

like or befitting a father or fatherhood; kind and protective

From this reading “The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.”

inherited adjective US /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading “In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.”

inimical adjective US /ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl/

not friendly

From this reading “Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.”

monarchy noun US /ˈmɑːnɑːrki/

an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority

From this reading “Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.”

philosophic adjective US /ˌfɪləˈsɑːfɪk/

of or relating to philosophy or philosophers

From this reading “Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.”

tyrannical adjective US /tərˈænɪkəl/

marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior

From this reading “The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.”

widest adjective US /ˈwaɪdəst/

superlative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.”

All words in this reading · 54

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/

having the limits or boundaries established

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

comprehensionnounUS /ˌkɑːmpriˈhenʃən/

an ability to understand the meaning or importance of something (or the knowledge acquired as a result)

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

CONSTITUTIONnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/

law determining the fundamental political principles of a government

From this reading THE POTUAN CONSTITUTION.

crownnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

fatherlyadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːðərli/

like or befitting a father or fatherhood; kind and protective

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

governmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

inheritedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈherətɪd/

occurring among members of a family usually by heredity

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

inimicaladjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl/

not friendly

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

JusticenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

lawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

meted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

monarchynounUS /ˈmɑːnɑːrki/

an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

otherwiseadverbUS /ˈʌðərwaɪz/

in other respects or ways

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

philosophicadjectiveUS /ˌfɪləˈsɑːfɪk/

of or relating to philosophy or philosophers

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

Potu

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

POTUAN

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE POTUAN CONSTITUTION.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

principlenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE POTUAN CONSTITUTION.

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

tyrannicaladjectiveUS /tərˈænɪkəl/

marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior

From this reading The government, however, is rather fatherly than tyrannical.

unitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

widestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdəst/

superlative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Justice is not meted and bounded by law alone, but is the result of principle, a principle of the widest philosophic comprehension.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the kingdom of Potu the crown is inherited, as with us, by the eldest son of the king, whose power is absolute.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Thus, monarchy and liberty are closely united, which otherwise would be inimical to each other.

Chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground by Ludvig Holberg holds 43 sentences, grouped into 9 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground contain?

Chapter 8 holds 43 sentences of Niels Klim's journey under the ground, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground by Ludvig Holberg exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 43 sentences, grouped into 9 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 8 of Niels Klim's journey under the ground?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Niels Klim's journey under the ground

Common questions about reading Niels Klim's journey under the ground by Ludvig Holberg on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Niels Klim's journey under the ground?

Yes. All 1586 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27884 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Niels Klim's journey under the ground is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27884, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Niels Klim's journey under the ground take to read?

About 132 minutes of reading across 318 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Niels Klim's journey under the ground section by section

How to work through Niels Klim's journey under the ground section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Niels Klim's journey under the ground

Words and structures a reader meets early in Niels Klim's journey under the ground, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Complete
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Niels Klim's journey under the ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Please
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Niels Klim's journey under the ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bottom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Niels Klim's journey under the ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Document
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Niels Klim's journey under the ground; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.